Eye of the Storm
by Midnight-in-Russia
Summary: It all started when Naruto invited Sasuke to his hurricane party. He wasn't sure if what he felt for his new friend was completely platonic. Now, as a previously straight twenty-two year-old guy, Naruto has new feelings to think about. Will he and Sasuke be just friends? Or were they meant to be something more - something that Naruto had never even dreamed of before?
1. Chapter 1

Naruto Uzumaki sat on the ground, leaning against an oak tree, sighing contentedly as the gentle autumn breeze rolled around him, carrying golden and vivid red leaves in its zephyrs. Blades of grass tickled his arms as he lounged, looking up through the branches and leaves, into the sky. The sky itself was covered with dark, grey storm clouds. He had been watching the weather reports earlier, and the weatherman had mentioned thunderstorms in the late afternoon.

The town had been abuzz with the news that a hurricane was making its way toward their small town in eastern Pennsylvania. The meteorologists had been tracking the storm for days now, and every time, they always ended the forecast with safety precautions and the advice that everyone stock up on essentials. It didn't look likely that the furious storm was going to curve away from its path. Naruto had already gone shopping with his father, Minato, for supplies in case of a power outage or worse. One time, they had been caught unprepared by a hurricane, which left everyone in the town – and a few towns over – without electricity for four days. Naruto wasn't about to get himself stuck in the same situation again. That had been awful. It had been August, and the air in the town had been stifling.

Now though, it was late September. The air had a crisp, cool edge to it, and some days it felt as if winter was already on their doorstep. Naruto stood up as he heard the first low rumble of thunder in the distance. He corners of his mouth turned downwards ever so slightly as he looked at the horizon. He reckoned it was about time to head back to his apartment. He found that, as he swung his leg over his parked motorcycle, that he didn't want to go to his apartment and sit there, alone, waiting for the storm to knock all of the power lines over. Shaking his head, he put on his helmet, fastening it tightly. He would go by his dad's house and stay with him. Besides, he was sure the older man wouldn't want to be alone either.

It had been roughly eight years since his mother had passed away from cancer. He smiled sadly to himself as he remembered her. Always smiling, lending out a helping hand to her son and husband and whoever else may have needed it. No, he figured that Minato could use as much company as he could get, especially during the hurricane. Bad weather tended to bring Minato down. His usually cheery mood would be tinged with an edge of loneliness. Naruto wasn't quite sure why his father got that way during storms, but once he had asked him. The older man's response had been something along the lines of "just makes me think of her. I'll be fine, son," and he would put on a smile for Naruto. But he wasn't an idiot, just as Naruto wasn't. They both knew he was just putting on a façade.

As Naruto revved the engine of his motorcycle, the first drops of rain started to fall from the cloudy sky. They were light drops, nothing threatening just yet, but he knew he had to make it to his father's house before the weather worsened. He took off, swerving carefully onto the road leading out of the park before turning onto the main highway. He pulled his sunglasses down over his eyes to protect them from the sprinkles of rain.

It wasn't long before he pulled into the driveway of Minato's house, turning off his bike and pulling it into the separate garage. Minato had built the garage – with the help of Naruto and his best friend, Kiba. He closed the garage and jogged over to the walkway that lead to his father's house. It was built to look like a log cabin, and the windows of the place were illuminated by the golden light shining from within. He took off his helmet, tucking it under his arm as he rapped on the door with his knuckles twice before letting himself inside. Minato didn't mind in the least – Naruto still thought of this place as his home, although he had an apartment on the other side of town. He was twenty-two years old, and still visited his dad whenever the opportunity arose.

"I'm home!" Naruto called out into the house. No response. He set his helmet down on one of the couches and walked around the seemingly empty house. "Dad?"

He walked down the hallway and passed his old bedroom, the guest room, and a bathroom as he made his way to his dad's bedroom. The door stood open, and he could hear the steady rush of water from the master bathroom. Naruto shook his head, smiling to himself. His dad was in the shower, and he had left the front door unlocked, for any stranger or burglar to come in through, had they chosen to. Now, Naruto could see where he got his nearly non-existent cautiousness from.

He knocked gently on the bathroom door. "Hey, Dad, it's me. Just wanted to let you know I'm here."

"Oh, sorry, Naruto. I'll be out in a few minutes," came the reply, only muffled by the closed door that stood between them.

"No rush, old man," he said, grinning as he heard his father's easygoing laughter through the door.

Naruto walked back into the living room and plopped down on the couch, grabbing the remote control from off of the coffee table. He slipped his shoes off and pulled out the recliner on his side of the couch. He leaned back and flipped through channels, searching for nothing in particular as he did so. His phone vibrated from inside one of the pockets on his jeans. He pulled it out and answered it, holding it to his ear, his hair still slightly damp from the drive over.

"Hello?"

"Naruto! Dude, we've already lost power at my place," Kiba's voice rang in his ears, "what about your place?"

"I dunno. I'm actually at my dad's place right now. I'm sure if you lost power, then I probably did too. My apartment's not that far from yours," he said, suddenly feeling even more thankful he had chosen to keep his father company.

"This sucks. Ino's here though, and she says hi." Kiba said, growling something in annoyance as the voice changed.

"Hi, Naruto, it's Ino," she gushed, obviously not wanting to wait for a response before she continued, "How do you think your dad would react if you asked him if he wanted to have a hurricane party?"

He paused for a moment. At that moment, Minato had chosen to walk into the living room, freshly dressed and toweling off his hair.

"Hey, Dad. Wanna have a hurricane party?" Naruto asked from his spot on the couch, covering the phone's speaker as he looked up at the tall, blond man.

Minato raised his eyebrows. "A hurricane party? What is that?"

"Dad! You know what that is. People bring stuff like food, drinks, tons of booze, radios, candles, and other crap. The hurricane isn't supposed to hit 'til later on tonight. Like around one in the morning. Whaddya say?"

Minato grinned. "Sure, that sounds like fun. Who all's coming? Kiba, I assume."

"Yeah," he said, uncovering the speaker of his phone. "Ino, who's coming. Kiba, you, and…?"

"Me, Kiba, Shikamaru, and probably Sakura," she listed off. Naruto nodded. Sakura would probably be joining them, seeing as how she was Ino's best friend.

"Okay, then. I'll order a few pizzas and sodas. You guys bring whatever else you want. And pick up lots of booze!" Naruto said.

"Alright. We'll see you in an hour," and with that, she hung up.

Naruto laughed as Minato ruffled his hair. "This'll be fun, Dad. We can break out your old beer pong table!"

He chuckled. "Yeah, this ought to be a fun night. I'm excited. I'd rather sit here and party than listen to everyone on the radio whine and tear up people's nerves about Hurricane Trisha."

They ordered four large pizzas and a few two-liter bottles of soda from a nearby pizza place. The workers sounded harassed, and Naruto expected that they were probably getting a lot of orders from people who were doing the exact same thing that they were doing.

Forty minutes later, the doorbell sounded and a young man stood on the doorstep in a poncho, holding the pizzas in a huge bag to keep them warm. Rain was pouring down, and the puddles in the yard had started to form together, creating huge puddles around the front yard. Naruto felt bad for the delivery boy, and tipped him nine dollars, a fair trade for the amount that he had paid for the pizzas and drinks. He brought the pizzas and drinks inside, setting them down on the dining room table. He sniffed the air appreciatively, wondering if he should wait for everyone else to arrive.

He didn't have to wait for very long, because as soon as the delivery boy had left, a new set of headlights shone in through the living room windows. A few seconds later, the doorbell was ringing obnoxiously. Naruto hurried over to the door and threw it open, standing aside as his friends trudged inside, immediately shedding their raincoats and shoes. Kiba was the first to acknowledge him, pulling his friend into a hug.

"Good to see you, man," Kiba said, smiling. He had a mischievous glint in his eyes; Naruto was sure he was picturing the night ahead of them in his mind. "Look at that crazy shit outside! It's raining cats, dogs, pigs, chickens - "

"Naruto!" a blur of pink pushed Kiba aside and enveloped him in a hug. "It's so good to see you."

"Hey, Sakura," he chuckled as Kiba yelled obscenities at the pink-haired girl. Shikamaru just shook his head and mumbled something about "troublesome girls".

Everyone finished their hellos and Minato ushered everyone to the dining room where he had set out plates and cups. They all dug in, their conversations steadily flowing as they all stuffed their faces, talking about everything and nothing in particular. As they finished their late dinners and cleaned up their messes, the lights flickered. The power surged, but the lights illuminated the room once more as they came back on.

"Candles! Flashlights!" Ino said loudly. They followed her back into the living room and dug through their backpacks. Everyone pulled out assortments of candles and flashlights.

"Okay. Anyone have a lighter?" Naruto asked. Silence met his ears. "Anyone? Seriously? No one has a lighter? Matches?"

"No. Sorry, dude," Kiba answered.

His father was rummaging through the cupboards and drawers. He pulled out a book of matches and flicked it open. There was only one left. Naruto groaned.

"Craaaap. Well, anyone wanna come to the store with me?" he asked no one in particular.

"I call not it!" Kiba declared, laughing as Naruto flipped him off.

"I'll go with you, Naruto," Ino said, smacking Kiba on the back of the head. The brunet growled and rubbed his head, playfully glaring at the girl. Ino's pretty jaw set in a devilish smile as she waved "goodbye" to Kiba.

They hurried outside, into the rain that came down, pelting them like bullets. They got into Kiba's car, and Ino handed him the keys, which she'd snagged off of the table next to one of the couches. Naruto had driven Kiba's car many times before (most of the time, Kiba was in the backseat, drunk), so he knew his best friend would have no qualms about him driving it.

The pair set off to the nearest gas station, which was right down the street. It was hard to see the road, even with the windshield wipers going the fastest that they could. The rain was just coming down too heavily. Finally, they reached the gas station and ran inside. It was cold inside, and Naruto fought to keep himself from shivering as they walked up and down the aisles. Ino was off in another aisle, looking for some more snacks, because she had a feeling that this hurricane would be particularly devastating.

After much searching, Naruto found the matches and reached for them. His hand knocked against someone else's hand, and he pulled back apologetically. He looked at the man next to him and smiled.

"Sorry. Go ahead," the blond gestured toward the matches. The man just raised an eyebrow at him and grabbed a pack of matches. Obsidian eyes regarded Naruto carefully – almost suspiciously – as he took the matches.

"There's only this one pack left," the stranger said, speaking in a low voice. He was rather soft-spoken, but there was an intensity in his eyes – in the way he was looking at Naruto – that made him shiver. His jet black hair framed his face, contrasting greatly with his porcelain complexion. He looked good, and Naruto could see that – if he were a woman – he would probably be very attracted to this guy.

Naruto looked at the empty spot on the shelf where the matches had been. He cursed his luck. Of course, everyone else in town had had this same idea. The residents were probably all holed up in their stupid houses, with all the stupid matches and freakin' candles –

"You can have it if you want," the stranger said, offering the book of matches to him.

Naruto shook his head, smiling. "Nah, that's okay. You can take it. I'll just get a crapload of lighters or something."

"A crapload?" the stranger said, the corners of his mouth turned upward, slightly amused. Was this guy making fun of him?

"Yes. A crapload," Naruto finished, his cerulean eyes twinkling with amusement. "Or, a shitload, if you'd rather."

"I'd rather not hear about either, if that's okay with you," he replied, smirking.

"Fine, suit yourself," the blond said, still grinning. He stuck out a tan arm, extending his hand. "I'm Naruto, by the way."

The ebony-haired man narrowed his eyes, taking the proffered hand. "Nice to meet you, Naruto. I don't give out my name to strangers I meet at gas stations in the middle of the night."

"It's not the middle of the night," he pointed out, letting go of his hand after shaking it.

"Hn," the stranger said, turning away from Naruto, who was now frowning. What was up that guy's ass? He hadn't said anything that could come off as rude or insulting, had he? Inwardly, he shrugged. Maybe the guy was just a dick for no reason.

He perused the aisles for a little while younger, finally grabbing a few lighters (one for each of them) and heading up to the counter where Ino was chatting it up with the midnight-haired stranger from earlier. He looked bored, from what Naruto could see, but Ino either didn't notice or didn't care. Ino was, in fact, pointing at Naruto, or at least in his direction. He walked up to the counter, raising an eyebrow at them as he approached.

"Good, you found me. Naruto, I was just inviting this handsome man to our little hurricane party. Tell him, isn't it going to be so much fun?" she said, practically devouring the man with her eyes.

He felt a smile already spreading itself across his face. "It _is_ going to be pretty awesome."

"Sorry, but I have other things to do tonight," the stranger said, waiting in line as Ino paid for her things. Naruto tossed the lighters onto the counter with Ino's stuff, much to the cashier's dismay, with a promise that he'd pay Ino back.

"Like what?" Naruto challenged readily, tapping his foot.

"Like, oh, I don't know. Survive the hurricane? Not end up trapped in some guy's basement that I met at a gas station?" he answered, smirking.

Naruto's jaw dropped. He was offended. Did he _look_ like a murderer or a psychopath? He did not think so.

"I'm not gonna _kill_ you or rape you or anything. I was just being friendly and inviting you to my party. That's all," he said, snatching the receipt out of Ino's hands. He borrowed a pen sitting on the counter and scribbled down some numbers and his name on the paper, stuffing it into the stranger's hands. "There. That's my name and my phone number. If you decide you wanna come – 'cause this thing's probably going to last a couple of days – give me a call or a text."

The guy just gave him a strange look, but took the paper anyway and shoved it into his jacket pocket. He nodded as Naruto and Ino gathered their bags and headed towards the door. He held the door open for Ino and, together, they headed for Kiba's car. They slammed the doors shut and turned on the engine.

"Whew. That rain is getting worse and worse," Naruto exclaimed, turning the heat on blast as they headed back to the house.

"Yeah. Anyway, oh my _gosh_, Naruto. That guy was so _hot_!" Ino squealed excitedly. "I hope he comes. Oh my gosh, he was like a model!"

"Pffft. He wasn't _that_ great. He was good-looking, but I'm way hotter," he said, playfully. In truth, the stranger had been very attractive. He was just as – if not more – attractive as Naruto, in his opinion. And Naruto thought of himself as a pretty decent-looking guy.

Ino playfully smacked his arm. "You know you're hot, Naruto. Shut up."

"I know," he joked, pulling into his father's driveway and shutting off the car.

They rushed inside and stripped off their jackets and shoes once more. It was around nine at night now, and the storm was kicking in, fast and furious. Luckily, the lights hadn't gone out just yet, but they were flickering every now and again. Naruto lit a few candles and set them around the house sporadically. When he was satisfied that at least two candles were in every room, he relaxed, opening a beer to catch up with everyone else.

Around forty minutes later, the lights went out with a flash. Thunder rumbled in the background, more audible now than ever. There was no sound of the heating system in the background. The air was still around them, and for a heartbeat, no one said anything. They could see each other by the dim candlelight, and no one was really bothered by the darkness, as they were all buzzed by now. Some movement was heard, footsteps, some shuffling as someone unzipped a backpack. A clicking noise, and then…music. Kiba turned the battery-operated radio's volume all the way up on blast so that it could be heard from anywhere in the house and probably from outside.

"'TIL THE BREAK OF DAWN!" he said, quoting his favorite movie, Project X. Everyone cheered and started dancing; even Minato busted a couple of moves. Naruto smiled. This was great. Everyone he loved and cared about in the same room, getting wasted. That was the definition of a great night, in his book.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out, the sudden light hurting his eyes as he peered at the text. It was from a number he didn't recognize, but it said "_Is this Naruto?"_ His drunken brain's gears moved slowly into action as he recalled the stranger from the gas station.

He texted back. "_Yeah. Is this the guy from the gas station who wouldn't give me his name?_"

Satisfied with his text, he went back to his fifth or sixth beer, feeling good as he danced around to some unknown song. Five minutes later, his phone buzzed again. He pulled it out, reading the text woozily.

"_Yes. This is he. You can call me Sasuke. I think the weather is too bad for me to make it to your party. Sorry I couldn't come. You seem like…a fun guy. Maybe we'll hang out another time._"

Naruto frowned, slightly disappointed that this guy, Sasuke, couldn't come. Ino had really been looking forward to him coming, but he could tell that Sasuke wasn't into Ino anyway. If he had been, he probably would have asked for Ino's phone number, or at least asked Naruto for the girl's number.

"_It's cool. We could definitely hang out sometime though. I'll think of something for us to do. You sure you can't come? It's pretty awesome._"

He got his answer in less than a minute. "_Yeah. My driveway is flooded. Whenever you want to hang out is fine with me. Thanks for inviting me over though._"

Naruto let a small smile touch his lips at this. For someone who had been such a dick, Sasuke actually seemed kind of cool. He could tell that Sasuke was not the type to text random strangers, and that it must have actually taken a lot for him to get up the nerve to text him. Naruto was the complete opposite. He reached out to people that he wanted to get to know. He loved meeting new people. It was exciting for him to make new friends, and that was something he did with ease, everywhere he went. It seemed he was going to have to reach out a little farther for Sasuke's hand in friendship, but that was fine by him, as the man seemed lonely. After all, he was texting a stranger. Quickly, Naruto responded.

"_No problem. I'll hit you up tomorrow. We can hang out in a few days, after the storm has passed. Sound good?_"

"_Yes, that sounds good. See you later, Naruto._"

"_Later, Sasuke. :D_"

He looked around to see that Shikamaru and Ino were passed out on the couch together, Sakura was setting up her sleeping bag on the floor, and Kiba was talking animatedly to Minato about something that seemed to be of great interest. The music had been turned down to a low drone by someone, and a weather report warning cut through the music, reminding everyone of the incoming storm.

"Well," Naruto groaned, stretching his muscles, "I think I'm going to hit the hay."

"I think that sounds like a good idea," Minato said, stretching as well. He ruffled his son's hair. "We can stay up later tomorrow, but it sounds like everyone has had a long day. I'm off to bed."

"Night, Dad," Naruto said, giving his father a half hug. His dad smiled.

"Night, Naruto. Night everyone," Minato said quietly and stumbled off to his bedroom.

The blond flumped onto the other couch, grunting when Kiba pounced on top of him, smothering him in blankets. The shoved his friend good-naturedly, laughing as Kiba fell onto the floor. The brunet got up and readjusted himself on the couch so that Naruto was lying on one end, and he was laying on the other. The two talked for a little while before sleep overtook them both, the sounds of the storm wailing outside lulling them to sleep. Naruto sighed happily, tightening the blankets around him to make a cocoon. He didn't even notice when his phone went off again. Sleep was bliss.


	2. Chapter 2

When Naruto awoke the next morning, no light shone through the windows to even hint that it was daytime. The only way he could tell that it was actually morning was because of the clock on his phone. 9:13 A.M. He noticed that he had one unread text message from Sasuke. He pressed a button and their conversation from the night before popped up, as well as the new message. It was from last night, he realized. He must have fallen asleep a little earlier than he'd meant to.

The text said "_Maybe, if you're still having the hurricane party tomorrow, and it's not raining too badly, I'll come over._"

Naruto smiled at his phone's screen as he texted back, telling Sasuke that yes, he could come over anytime he wanted to. As an afterthought, he asked Sasuke if he had a Facebook account. Maybe it was weird to ask that, but Naruto had never been one for propriety anyway. He yawned loudly, being sure to kick Kiba in the crotch as he stretched. The brunet growled in his sleep, kicking at Naruto's foot with his own.

He watched as Kiba rolled onto his back completely, one side of his face crisscrossed with lines from his pillow case. His rich, chestnut brown hair was unruly, as it always was, but this particular case of bedhead was amongst the worst Naruto had ever seen. He snickered, muffling the sound with the back of his hand. Kiba gave an irritated huff and rolled back over, burying his head beneath the blankets, trying with all his might to block out the sound of his best friend's laughter.

Over the next few hours, everyone woke up and went about their morning routine albeit without electricity. There wasn't much excitement going on, unless you counted the storm outside. But even the hurricane had eased up a bit. One by one, all of his friends gave him a hug goodbye and thanked him for having them over. They all figured that it was best to get to their respective homes while the weather permitted. Kiba was the only one who would have stayed, but being that it was his car they had taken, he had to drive everyone home. He bid Naruto a quick goodbye with the promise that he would text him later.

With nothing to do and nothing to entertain himself with, Naruto decided to sit in one of the chairs on the porch and watch the storm. It was barely a category two level hurricane, so decided that there would be no harm in sitting outside, in front of his dad's house. He felt the chilly air on his bare arms, and a raindrop here and there would blow his way and land on him. It felt nice though. He felt as if he could stay like this forever….

Half a day came and went, and there was still no electricity in the house. It was nearing six o'clock in the evening, and the black gloom outside was pressing in on Naruto, determined to darken his mood as well. He lay in his old bed, flip-flopping his phone in his hands, wondering if Sasuke was ever going to text him back. Just as he was about to give up hope and go to sleep, his phone vibrated.

"_Are you still having the hurricane party tonight?_"

His mouth twisted downward, thinking to himself. Everyone had gone home, but that did not mean Sasuke couldn't still come over, did it? Would it be too awkward? Naruto shook his head, dismissively. Nothing was awkward with him – at least, not for long. He was an outgoing type of guy, and he prided himself on that. If anyone could keep a party going, it was Naruto Uzumaki. He texted back, letting Sasuke know that everyone else had gone home, but he could still come over if he wanted to. He gave him his dad's address, having already asked Minato earlier if his new friend could come over. His dad was just like him – friendly and loved getting to know new people.

"_Okay. What kind of drinks should I bring?_"

Naruto's fingers quickly mashed the screen, telling him that whatever he wanted to bring was fine by him. Another text notified him that Sasuke would be showing up as soon as he could. Naruto's phone's battery was dying; it was beeping its final warnings as the screen dimmed considerably. It probably wouldn't last much longer. He sighed heavily as he ambled aimlessly around the house, dusting things off and picking random things up and examining them.

He stood by the fireplace – the centerpiece of the living room – gazing at the picture above the mantle. It was a family portrait, taken when Naruto was about six or seven years old. His father was as handsome as ever, dressed in a suit and tie, which hung loosely around his neck, coming undone. His blue eyes were twinkling not at the camera, but at his wife. Kushina looked stunning in her simple sundress, smiling up at her husband, who was holding a young Naruto on his hip in between the two of them. The picture had taken place outside, and Naruto knew it was the city park in the background.

His mother looked healthy and happy. And his father looked love-struck. He smiled at the picture, even as tears stung behind his eyes ruefully. He wasn't sad; he just missed her. He moved away from the picture, blowing out a couple of candles along the way. There was still some light to see by, but Naruto would rather the chances of burning the house down be kept to a minimum.

It was times like these that he wish he had a girlfriend. He wanted someone to hold during the night, someone to confide in whenever he felt like it, and someone to love him like no other. He realized that he needed to get back out in the dating pool sometime, but it was difficult. No one really caught his eye. He had had a crush on Sakura at one point – whilst they were still in high school – but that was a mere infatuation, nothing more. It had ended their senior year, and they had been good friends ever since.

He lounged on the couch, looking up at the ceiling. He ran a hand through his hair, tiredly. The wind was howling outside, and Naruto shuddered to think what Sasuke must be driving through right now. Looking down at his pants, he realized that he was wearing the same clothes he had been wearing yesterday. Without much thought, he stood up and went to his bedroom, shedding his old clothes and pulling on a set of fresh clothes.

He just wanted to wear something casual. Some jeans and a fresh shirt would do. He pulled the shirt on over his head, noticing that it was a little too formfitting for his liking. It clung to his body lovingly, fitting snugly over his broad chest and toned arm muscles. Naruto was about to change again as the doorbell rang, and he cursed quietly to himself as he headed down the hallway.

He pulled the door open, letting a smile grace his face as he saw his new companion for the evening. Sasuke stood on the doorstep with a navy blue umbrella overhead, water running off of his umbrella and down around him. He gave Naruto a once-over, giving the shirt an appreciative nod as he cleared his throat.

"May I come in?" he asked. Naruto thought he could hear the slightest edge of sarcasm lingering in his voice. Maybe he had just imagined it.

"But of course," he replied, grinning. He stepped aside to let Sasuke inside, taking his umbrella and coat for him and hanging them in the coat closet.

Sasuke stepped inside, looking around at the living room and the dining room beyond it. "This is a very nice house."

The blond's grin grew wider as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Thanks. It's my dad's house though."

This made Sasuke smirk. "You still live with your father? And you're how old?"

"Hey!" Naruto protested, shutting the coat closet door. He leaned against it. "I have my own place on the other side of town. And I'm twenty-two. How old are you?"

"Just turned twenty-three this past July," was his response as he walked around, admiring the artwork on the walls. "You said this was your dad's house. Where is he now?"

"Good question. I think he's sleeping in his room or working on something. He'll come out eventually. He loves meeting new people," Naruto explained casually.

"I guess you two have that in common then," Sasuke said, his smirk turning into something more sincere.

"Yeah," he said, trailing off. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, at least not to Naruto, but he decided to break it anyway. "Want something to drink?"

Sasuke lifted up a bag in his hand that Naruto hadn't noticed before. He pulled out a case of beer and a couple of bottles of wine, setting them on the dining room table. The blond picked up one of the bottles of wine. He must have been making a face, because Sasuke spoke, explaining what it was and where it was from.

"Does it taste good?" Naruto asked. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"If I didn't think it tasted good, then why would I bring it?" he said. "Do you have wine glasses?"

"Dick. Yeah, I think my dad has some around here somewhere. My mom kept them around for fancy dinners and stuff," he said, rummaging through the cupboards haphazardly. He found two glasses and held them up triumphantly. After rubbing them on his shirt to get the dust off, he handed them to Sasuke, watching as he took the cork out.

"Where is your mother?" Sasuke asked, conversationally, pouring the red wine into the glassware.

"She passed away years ago from cancer," he said, smiling sadly. He felt bad for Sasuke, because he knew that Sasuke felt bad for asking now. The raven-haired man had flinched; he obviously hadn't been expecting that answer. "It's okay. I get that question every now and then. It's fine," he added, seeing Sasuke's expression.

"Sorry for bringing it up," he said, raising his glass in a toast. Naruto took his glass, smiling, and raised it up to meet Sasuke's with a _clink_ that resounded throughout the room.

"It's fine. Well, here goes nothin'. Cheers!" he exclaimed, taking his first sip ever of wine. He swallowed it, sputtering immediately afterwards. He coughed a bit, before wiping his mouth with his hand. Cerulean eyes looked at Sasuke, a grimace twisting his mouth.

"So, I guess red isn't your thing," Sasuke said, smirking. "Wanna try the other one? It's a white wine. It's not as sweet as the red."

"I'll take _anything _over that. That was just…gross," he said, sitting down as Sasuke poured his abandoned wine into his own cup, filling the glass up to the top. He then opened the other bottle and poured Naruto's empty glass a quarter of the way full before giving it to him.

"Try that. I think you'll like it better," he said, pushing the glass into Naruto's hands, brushing his fingers against the blond's for a split second.

Naruto took a cautious sip of the wine before smacking his lips together. "That one's _better_…but I think I'll just have a beer instead."

Sasuke laughed. The sound caught Naruto by surprise. He liked the sound of it. Sasuke's laughter was, well…nice.

"I brought beer for your working-class palate. Don't worry," he said, gesturing to the case of beer on the table.

"Hey! I'll learn to appreciate wine, in time. Right now though, is not that such time," Naruto sang, popping open a beer. The dim candlelight was soothing and relaxing in a way. Their conversation was idle, flowing and ebbing naturally as they joked about this and that, getting to know each other just a little bit better.

Naruto laughed as he told one of his many embarrassing stories to Sasuke. The alcohol was kicking in, making the both of them feel more at ease. Sasuke's body language had changed. He was no longer sitting straight up, but he was leaning back in his chair, genuinely listening to what Naruto was saying, laughing at his stupid misadventures.

"And when I stood up, there was a jellyfish like freakin' _attached _to my crotch. Well, right next to it anyway. No shit," he stopped to breathe through his laughter. Sasuke was doubled over with laughter, the silent giggles racking his body. "I peeled it off, and – no, seriously, listen – and there was a huge red mark on my thigh. It stung _so_ fuckin' badly. My friend, Kiba, offered to pee on me to make the stinging stop."

Once Sasuke caught his breath, he wiped his eyes. "Did you let him pee on you?"

Naruto half-heartedly glared at him. "No! I didn't even know that was a thing! When he offered to pee on it, I was like 'what the _fuck is wrong with you_?'"

That sent Sasuke into another bout of laughter. In the dim candlelight, Naruto could make out the sharp outline of Sasuke's high cheekbones, the sweep of his jaw, and his twinkling, midnight eyes. Ino was right; everything about him just oozed sex appeal. Sasuke must have women standing in a line just for a chance to be with him. Naruto – or rather, the alcohol – decided to voice this.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" he asked, for no reason other than to satisfy his own curiosity.

Sasuke gave him a strange look, bringing his wine glass up to his lips, finishing off the last of his drink. He had already drunk a bottle and a half of wine, and he was filling up his cup again. Either Sasuke could handle his alcohol very well, or he was some kind of alcoholic. Naruto preferred to think that it was the former.

"No, I don't. Why do you ask?" he asked coolly, sipping his drink.

Naruto shrugged, taking a swig of beer. "Just wonderin'. You seem like a pretty cool guy, and you're good-looking, so I figured you'd have a girlfriend. That's all."

Sasuke drummed his fingers on the surface of the table. He sat his wine glass down and put his elbow on the table, holding his head up with his hand as he looked into Naruto's eyes. In serious tone, he said "What if I don't like women?"

"Huh?" Naruto said, furrowing his brow. "You mean like…you're gay?"

"Yes, Naruto. I'm gay," he said, readily. "I hope that isn't a problem for you. Is it?"

Naruto held his hands out in front of him, palms facing towards Sasuke in an "I surrender" type of motion. "No, no. I don't mind. I just didn't expect that I guess. That's cool."

"What about you?" Sasuke said, running a finger around the rim of his glass.

"Me? I'm straight," he replied, taking a hearty swig of beer. He crushed the can, tossing it in the direction of the trash can. He missed. He got up, feeling around the kitchen floor with his foot until he found the can and tossed it into the trashcan, making it this time.

"Have you ever kissed a man?" the question was quiet, almost whispered.

"No. I don't like guys. I mean, I've always liked women, for as long as I can remember. I've never wanted to kiss another guy. I can…tell when guys are good-looking though. Like you. You're really good-looking. But, uh…yeah," he finished, eloquently, sitting back down in his seat.

Suddenly, everything around them was lit. It was like someone pulled a blanket of darkness off of them, and every room was bathed in the light. Finally, the electricity had come back on. The house was abuzz with the sounds of air conditioning; it was as if the house had woken up after a long slumber.

"YES!" Naruto yelled, fist in the air. "You wanna watch some TV or play a game or something?"

"Sure," Sasuke said, following Naruto into the living room. Sasuke sat on the couch as he watched the blond stumble around, searching for game controllers.

They played some Call of Duty, Naruto losing miserably as Sasuke proceeded to win…multiple times. The blond blamed his loss on the amount of alcohol he'd consumed. It wasn't until their last match when Sasuke finally glanced at his phone, which was charging next to Naruto's on the side table.

"It's already one in the morning," Sasuke said, pushing the curtains aside to look out the window. He could see trees blowing almost horizontally in the wind, threatening to break with every gust that blew by. It was still raining, worse than it had been all day. "It doesn't look like it'd be safe for me to drive home."

"You shouldn't drive home anyway. You've had a lot to drink," Naruto said, slurring a bit as he stood up to stretch.

"Would you mind if I stayed over? I'll leave early in the morning," he asked, trailing off as his new friend threw a pillow at his head.

"I don't mind if you sleep over. I'd actually feel better if you did. I don't want you driving home or even getting a cab in this kind of weather. I'd feel bad if something happened to you," Naruto explained, sprawling out on the couch, over the spot Sasuke had been occupying before he got up to look at the weather.

"You're in my spot," said Sasuke, putting one knee on the couch, looking down expectantly at Naruto.

"Find your own spot," he teased, pushing the knee off of the couch. Suddenly, he had the breath knocked out of him as Sasuke pounced on him, wrestling him as he tried to push him off.

In the end, Sasuke won, sitting there with a smug look on his face. Naruto chose a random movie from Netflix to watch. It was a comedy, and he found himself laughing along with Sasuke during the funnier parts of the movie. They both sat on the couch, Naruto's legs stretched out across the Uchiha's lap; one of Sasuke's legs was curled up underneath his bottom, and the other was on the floor. They sat like that for a while, commenting on the movie and trading sarcastic remarks to each other.

"I like you. You're very…witty," Naruto said, off-handedly. Sasuke turned his head to look at the blond as if he had grown another head. "What?" Naruto asked, smiling a bit.

Sasuke shook his head, turning his attention back to the television. "Nothing. Thank you though. And don't look at me like that. It could be…dangerous."

Naruto frowned. "Dangerous? How?"

"I might do something that we would regret," he answered, promptly.

"Oh," Naruto said, feeling foolish. Of course. He was probably teasing Sasuke without even realizing it. Paying him compliments like saying he liked him and that he was good-looking was probably making Sasuke want to pull out his hair with frustration.

They sat in silence for a while until the blond couldn't stand it any longer. He was actually kind of curious about everything….

"Sasuke…can I ask you something?" he ventured, carefully.

"Such as?"

"When did you realize that you liked guys?"

"Boy, you jumped right into that one, didn't you?" Sasuke let out a breath, resting a hand on Naruto's shin. "I was probably around fifteen. I still dated girls though. Even two years after figuring out that I leaned in the other direction."

"Whoa, really?"

"Really," Sasuke confirmed.

"I'm kind of…well…curious," Naruto admitted, thinking about whether or not it was normal to be "curious" at the age of twenty-two.

"Like how?" Sasuke pushed, gazing at Naruto.

"I dunno. Like how it would be to be with another guy," he found himself blushing towards the end of the sentence, because Sasuke's full attention was on him now, whether he wanted it to be or not. As it turned out, he rather liked Sasuke's undivided attention. It was…enthralling.

"Is this just the alcohol talking, or is it actually you?" he asked, not quite believing what he was hearing.

"It's me talking, for the most part, I think. Would you be offended if I asked you to show me…?" Naruto asked, feeling silly and brave all at once. What? Couldn't he just find out for himself what it was like to kiss another guy without being judged?

"You're serious?" Sasuke deadpanned, not believing for a minute that the blond was being sincere. But Naruto didn't seem like the kind of person who would play with someone's emotions just for the sake of being an asshole…. He wasn't that person. He was a good guy, who wore his heart out on his sleeve and protected his friends and family. He just didn't have it in him to be vindictive.

"Yeah," Naruto licked his lips, leaning toward Sasuke ever so slightly. "I mean, if it's okay with you. You don't have to or anything, I just -"

"Okay. Calm down, I get it," Sasuke said, mirth dancing in his eyes as he looked at his companion. Naruto looked so unsure of himself; it was downright adorable. Of course he'd be willing to satisfy his curiosity. Naruto was fucking _gorgeous_. "I'll help you."

"Really?" he said, feeling excited, nervous, confused, and self-conscious all at the same time.

"Yes. Just promise not to assault me in the morning when you wake up and remember this," he told him, only half-joking. Naruto was beginning to grow on him. The energetic blond was somebody he could actually see himself wanting to hang out with, and he couldn't say that for a lot of the people that he knew.

"I won't," Naruto said, unsure of what to do next, so he settled for looking down at his hands.

"Don't worry. I'll take it slow," Sasuke said, moving closer to Naruto. He lifted Naruto's chin up with his forefinger and thumb, looking into those beautiful, deep cerulean eyes of his…. He dipped his head down, capturing his lips in a slow, gentle kiss.

At first, Naruto didn't know what to expect. Then, as he started kissing back, he found that he didn't even remember that he was kissing another guy. He was kissing _Sasuke_, and that was all that mattered. He felt Sasuke's tongue nudging at his lips tenderly, silently begging permission to be let in. Naruto opened his mouth, and Sasuke's tongue slid in, coaxing his tongue into a slow dance. He moaned into the kiss, the sound thick with relief as he tangled his fingers in Sasuke's midnight locks, tilting his head for better access. He briefly wondered if he was getting too carried away, but it wasn't as if Sasuke was behaving himself any more than he was.

He felt a hand slip underneath his shirt, splaying itself across his abs. Soon, Sasuke was on top of him, nudging his legs apart. Their kiss broke apart with a sloppy, wet sound that gave Naruto butterflies and roused his already half-hard member. He felt something hot and wet slide along his jawline – Sasuke's tongue, his brain supplied helpfully – and he moaned quietly, the low sound breaking the silence. Sasuke slowly sat up, resting his hands on his knees. He looked down at Naruto; lust clouded his eyes, but he could just see the spark of awareness in his gaze.

"We should stop," he said, catching his breath. Naruto was just as bad off as Sasuke was, and all he could do was nod. "Anyway…did that help you figure anything out?"

Naruto wanted to bang his head into a wall out of frustration. It had helped – sort of – because he realized that he liked kissing Sasuke. He _really _liked kissing Sasuke. But on the other hand, it had confused him even more. He was straight, damn it! Why was he melting in Sasuke's arms like a girl kissing her first boyfriend?

"Yeah, kinda," he said eventually, preferring not to voice all of his internal conflicts at this moment. "Thanks."

"Anytime," Sasuke replied, smirking as Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Pervert. Ready for bed?" he asked, getting up off of the couch. "You can sleep out here if you want. Or you can sleep in my old room. That's where I'm going."

The lights flickered as a loud clap of thunder shook the room.

"Your room it is," Sasuke answered, picking up pillows and following him down the hallway.

Naruto's brain barely registered what he was doing as he took off his shirt, balled it up, and threw it across the room. He took off his jeans, facing away from the door, only to turn back around to see Sasuke standing there, eyes fixated on him.

Naruto froze, standing there in only his boxers. Every muscle in his body was taut as Sasuke, without so much as looking away, stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He dropped the pillows on the floor and crossed the room in three quick strides. Strong arms wrapped around Naruto's tapered waist as they pulled him flush against Sasuke's body, hips, chest, and stomachs touching.

"You're so sexy, you know that?" he whispered, sending a shiver down Naruto's spine. When did his voice get so husky?

Just as quickly as it happened, Sasuke stepped away, leaving Naruto feeling disappointed at sudden loss. He had to respect Sasuke though; it probably wasn't easy being in his position. So far, he was doing a pretty decent job at controlling himself. It made Naruto feel like a jerk for leading him on, in a way.

"You can, um, share my bed with me, if you want. It's a double," he added, slipping in under the covers. He watched as Sasuke stripped his shirt off. His jaw dropped. Sasuke had amazing abs. He looked like a model straight out of a magazine, with his rumpled hair and jeans, seductive eyes, hot body, and –

"Do you have any pajama pants I can borrow?" the question cut through Naruto's model fantasy like a knife.

"Yeah. Uh, check that top drawer over there. Yeah, that one," he said.

Sasuke pulled out a pair of sweatpants before taking his jeans off and switching pants. The raven-haired man crawled under the covers soon afterward, careful not to touch Naruto in any way that could be misconstrued as "sexual".

"Sasuke," Naruto said, breaking the silence once again. "I'm still curious."

"Still?" Sasuke chuckled, good-naturedly. "I thought I satisfied your curiosity."

"You did…at least about the kissing. I liked it, more than a straight guy probably should have," he admitted aloud.

"So you're just curious about guys. That doesn't mean you don't like girls still," Sasuke tried to help coax Naruto's thoughts out of him the best that he could.

"You," he said, and then he felt the need to clarify. "I'm not curious about guys. I'm just curious about…you."

Silence.

"What do you want from me, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, finally, not quite knowing what to expect for an answer. If there was anything that he had learned about Naruto so far, it was that he was unpredictable.

"Maybe we could go out sometime," the blond spoke his thoughts, not really caring how odd it sounded.

"Like, what? Like a date? I'm not a mind-reader, you know," Sasuke snickered as Naruto shot him a glare in the dimly lit room.

"Yeah, I was thinking that maybe we could go on a date sometime, if that's not too weird for me to ask or anything," he said.

Suddenly, Naruto felt very stupid. Sasuke might not even like him like that. Just because he liked guys didn't mean that he was into Naruto. Crap, if he had just made things weird – or even weirder – between Sasuke and him, he was going to strangle himself.

"Stop thinking. I can practically smell your brain overloading from over here, Naruto," Sasuke said, sweeping his fingers back and forth over Naruto's bare arm. It felt nice. "I would like to take you out on a date."

"You would?" Naruto asked, honestly surprised.

"I would," he said, yawning quietly behind his hand.

"It's got to be around three in the morning now," the blond said, more to himself than to Sasuke. "Is there a particular time you want me to wake you up?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Whenever you get up is fine. I don't have to go into work, technically. I can work from home. Besides, I doubt my office building is going to be open tomorrow, what with the hurricane and all."

"Okay," Naruto nodded, scooting over closer to Sasuke. "G'night, then."

"Good night. Sleep tight. Don't let the -"

"Bed bugs bite, yeah, yeah," Naruto waved off the warning.

"Funny. I was going to say 'Don't let the gay guy in your bed bite', but that works too," Sasuke finished, smirking as Naruto laughed.

"You can bite me anytime you want," he joked, fluffing his pillow and settling down.

"I'll take you up on that offer," he retorted.

"Sounds good, Sasuke. Night," he said, smiling as they looked into each other's eyes.

"Night, Naruto."


End file.
